How to use

3. Pick the desired features with your client, up to the budget. 4. Develop an accurate quote.

Comfortable temperatures

The following improvements will help make the house more comfortable while needing less heating or cooling over the year, therefore saving on energy costs. (Note that an accurate ‘yearly savings' figure cannot be determined by adding two or more thermal improvements together.)

The extra cost refers to the costs over and above what a more standard component or system would typically cost to purchase initially. The yearly savings are a result of the lower need for space conditioning energy use only. Figures are based on the needs of typical spec homes.

Energy efficiency

The following improvements will help make the house cheaper to run. (Individual improvements can be added together to provide combined extra costs and yearly savings.)

ENERGY improvement

extra cost

yearly savings(per household)

energy benefit

Renewables

Photovoltaic-ready house (installing cabling only)

$400

NA

NA

3 kWh grid-connected photovoltaic system fully installed

$10,000

(see note 1)

(see note 1)

Appliances and lighting

4 Energy Star fridge-freezer (380 litres)

$100

$60

Good

Correctly sized heat pump

$0

$210

Very good

All lighting energy efficient (CFL or LED)

$300

$150

Very good

1. Savings are difficult to determine given the rapid photovoltaic (PV) price changes and a number of other factors. See the Photovoltaic (PV) Design fact sheet for more information.

The extra cost refers to the costs over and above what a more standard component or system would typically cost to purchase initially. The yearly savings is the estimated benefit in lowered energy costs resulting from better appliance efficiencies.

Water management

The following improvements will help to manage water resources better. As Dunedin's supply and waste water council charges are fixed, the suggested improvements below are based on the most cost-effective solutions from usage-based charging councils.

The extra cost refers to the costs over and above what a more standard component or system would typically cost. The yearly savings is the estimated benefit in terms of saved water over a typical year given typical occupants.

Background

The performance upgrades are based on independent research by BRANZ and are region specific where possible. Only the most cost-effective improvements have been selected, based on homes consented in 2012. The cost and benefit figures are averages derived from actual consented plans, and take inflation and returns into account. All figures are estimates and should be seen as starting points for discussions.

Once the upgrades have been chosen, the estimated figures for extra costs will need to be more accurately determined and will vary depending on the specific design.

If you would like the detail on how this was calculated, including the full (unfiltered) list of improvement upgrades considered, see the background document Up-Spec: Background Research

The figures in the regional checklists consider those costs and benefits that are reasonably easy to quantify. Harder to quantify - but that might be even more important to the owner - are the:

health and comfort benefits from having a warmer, drier home

improved resilience and self-sufficiency for the home

Homestar points resulting from the upgrades.

Ideally, these other benefits should also be considered as part of the decision-making process.